Shoe form



Marchl'3, 1942. J. B. BRADHAw sHonFoRM Filed April le, 1940 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to shoe forms or trees adapted to maintain a shoe free f wrinkles between periods of use.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a shoe form of the longitudinally eX- pansible type which is so constructed as to be highly efficient in use, durable, and economical to manufacture.

The present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a shoe form constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrated in position within a shoe indicated in outline by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the shoe form shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present shoe form or tree includes an ordinary toe piece 5 preferably formed of sheet metal of a shape to lit within the toe portion of a shoe, a heel piece 6 preferably in the form of a block having a rounded rear surface and adapted to fit within the heel portion of the shoe, and a resilient collapsible device connecting the toe piece 5 and heel piece 6 as generally indicated at l.

The device 'I consists of an elongated tube or cylinder 8 of uniform non-circular cross section having one end thereof snugly fitted and secured within a recess 9 provided in the front of the heel piece 6. Any suitable means may be provided for securing this end of the tube 8 in the recess 9, such as a cross pin I0 extending through a transverse opening in the heel piece 6 and through the sides of the tube 8. This end of the tube 8 is closed by a plug II snugly fitted therein, and the pin I0 may pass through a transverse opening of the plug II so as to also secure the latter in place. The plug I I forms an abutment for one end of a helical compression spring I2 arranged within the tube 8, and the other end of this spring engages a plunger I3 slidably fitted within the forward portion of tube 5 and having a non circular cross sectional form similar to that of the tube 8. Rigid with the plunger I3 is a rod I4 that slidably projects through the forward end of tube 8 and has its forward end fastened to the top of the toe piece 5 by riveting or the like as at I5. The forward end of tube 8 preferably has a cap IG secured thereon and provided with a. central opening through which the rod I4 slidably extends, said cap limiting the forward movement of plunger I3. As the tube 8 is relatively long and providesl a considerable space between the block Il and the plunger I3 when the form is expanded, the spring I2 permits considerable variation in the length of the form so that it may be employed in shoes of different sizes. It will be seen that the form may be placed within a shoe with the plunger I3 partially retracted and the spring I2 under partial tension, the tendency of the form to expand longitudinally causing the shoe to be maintained in a certain condition with the upper free of wrinkles. The construction is extremely durable and is decidedly simple so as to provide for economical manufacture. At the same time, the force of expansion is maintained in a direct line so as to insure most efficient action in use.

What I claim as new is:

A longitudinally expansible shoe form comprising a sheet metal toe piece, a heel piece, and a yieldable collapsible device connecting said toe and heel pieces, said heel piece comprising a vertically elongated block having a non-circular recess in the forward side thereof, said device including a tube of non-circular cross section having one end fitted within said recess of the heel piece, a plug tted in said end of the tube, a plunger slidably fitted in the other end portion of said tube and having a rod projecting forwardly therefrom, the forward end of said rod being fastened rigidly to the top of said toe piece, and a helical compression spring arranged in said tube and having its opposite ends respectively abutting said plug and said plunger whereby to yieldingly maintain the plunger in a forward position, a cap on the forward end-of said tube having a central opening through which said rod slidably extends and constituting a stop to limit the forward movement of said plunger, said plunger being of non-circular cross sectional form corresponding to that of the tube wherebyrotation of the plunger relative to the tube is prevented to maintain the toe and heel pieces properly related at all times, and a pin passing transversely through the heel piece and the tube and the plug to secure the tube in the heel piece and the plug in the tube.

JAMES B. BRADSI-IAW. 

